Method and apparatus for handling coils of strip



J1me 1965 R. D. HUFFINGTON ETAL 3,186,655

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING 001115 of STRIP 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 20, 1959 IOI "Q O INVENTORS RUSSELL 0. HUFF/NGTON and June 1965 R. D. HUFFINGTON ETAL 3,186,655

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING COIL'S OF STRIP I RUSSELL D. HUFFl/VGTO/V and HANS 0. L l/VDE Af/omey 1 INVENTORS R. D. HUFFINGTON ETAL 3,186,655

June 1, 196% METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING COILS OF STRIP Filed Nov. 20, 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIE:-

M/ VENT-0175 RUSSELL 0. HUFFl/VG row and HANS 0. Ll/VDE M Affarney J1me 1965 R. D. HUFFINGTON ETAL 3,185,655

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING COILS 0F STRIP Filed Nov. 20, 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 mvf/vroks V RUSSELL 0. HUFF/NGTO/V and HANS 0. L/NDE =r- A flarney J1me 1955 R. o. HUFFINGTON ETAL 3,186,655

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING COILS OF STRIP Filed Nov. 20, 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 I II H v (LO l/VI/NfOkS RUSSELL 0. HUFF/NGTOIV and HANS 0.1.0105 g r Attorney J1me 1965 R. D. HUFFINGTON ETAL 3,186,655

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING cons OF STRIP Filed Nov. 20, 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTORS RUSSELL D. HUFFl/VGTO/V and HANS 0. Ll/VDE Q ism m mm! K m t r q Q R United States Patent This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for handling coils of strip and more particularly to the feeding of coils of steel strip to a processing line such as a continuous pickling line. Present processing lines commonly have mandrel type uncoilers at the entry end of the line. The usual practice in delivering the coils of strip to the uncoiler is to place a supply of banded coils at the top of a gravity conveyor and roll the coils down the conveyor as they are needed. A dump cradle then dumps each coil onto a sloping plate which permits the coil to roll onto the driven cradle rolls of the coil car. Since the coils are heavy they are difiicult to set in motion and also difi'icult to stop without damaging the strip. While a coil is resting on the driven cradle rolls of the coil car the metal bands of the coil car are opened manually and the coil is positioned by rotating the cradle rolls after which the leading end of the coil of strip is fed into the pinch rolls of the processing unit. In addition to damaging the strip during the rolling and dumping operations the metal bands occasionally break and become lodged in the equipment, thus causing delays in positioning successive coils. The operation is also hazardous.

It is therefore an object of our invention to provide apparatus for handling coils of strip without having toroll the coils.

Another object is to provide a method of feeding coils of strip to an uncoiler safely and without delay.

' These and other objects will be more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE lis a plan view of the apparatus of our invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view taken on the line IIII of FIG- URE 1; I I

FIGURE 3 is a view taken on the line III-III of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a view taken on the line IV- IV of FIG- URE 2; j V

- FIGURE 5 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the apparatus near the entry end thereof;

FIGURE 6 is a view taken on the line VI VI of FIG- URE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a view taken on the line VII VII of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged elevation, partly in section, of coil cars used in the practice of our invention;

FIGURE 9 is a side elevation of the apparatus with parts omitted for the purpose of better illustration;

FIGURE 10 is a view, similar to FIGURE 9, showing the coil cars in a different position; and

FIGURE 11 is a schematic diagram of the fluid system of our invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the reference numeral 2 includes a conveyor for receiving coils of strip S with their axes vertical. The conveyor 2 consists of two spaced series of pallets 4 and is driven from a motor 6 in the usual manner. A downender 8 is arranged at the delivery end of the conveyor 2. As best shown in FIGURES 5 to 7 the downender 8 includes. a shaft It) on which are mounted two arms 12 and 14 which are so spaced that the arm 14 can be received between the two series of pallets 4 while the arm 12 is to one side of the conveyor. A pair of round arms 16 are provided at y in broken lines in FIGURE 3.

'ice

right angles to the arms 12 and 14. The arms 16 are mounted on a slide 18 which is carried in a guide 20. Two hydraulic cylinders 22 have their piston rods connected to the guide 20. The shaft 10 is connected by means of an arm 24 to a piston rod 26 operated by a pivotally mounted hydraulic cylinder 28. Spaced from the downender 8 is a mandrel type uncoiler 30 of standard construction. The uncoiler 30 includes a mandrel 32 driven from a motor 34. A coil of strip S is fed through rolls 35 to the processing equipment. A pair of rails 36 extend from the downender 8 to the uncoiler 3dbelow floor level. Two coil cars 38 and 40 connected by a cou: pling 42 are mounted on the rails 36 by means of wheels 44 and 48, respectively. The car 40 is connected to a piston rod 59 of a hydraulic cylinder 52. The car 38 includes a frame 54 which mounts a hydraulic hoist cylinder 56 and a V-type cradle 58 which is carried by piston rod 60 associated with hydraulic hoist cylinder 56. The coil car 40 includes a frame 62 which mounts a hydraulic cylinder 64, a turn table 66 supported by piston rod 68 of hydraulic cylinder 64, and cradle rolls 70 mounted on turn table 66. The rolls 70 are driven from a gear motor 72. The turn table 66 may be rotated through an angle of 90 by means of a hydraulic motor 74. The cars 38 and 40 are shown in their extreme left hand position in FIG- URES 1 and 2. Above the car'44l when in this position are a pair of rolls 76 driven by motors 78. The axis of the rolls 76 are horizontal and parallel to the direction of movement of cars 38 and 40. Adjacent the rolls 76 is a coil peeling device 80 such as that shown in Linde application Serial No. 769,172, filed October 23, 1958, now abandoned, and entitled Device for Starting Coils of Strip Material into a Processing Line. Since this per se forms no part of the present invention no further. description thereof is necessary. The peeling device 80 is mounted on a' roller leveller 82 which is driven in the usual manner by a motor 84. A shear 86 of standard construction is arranged on the exit side of the roller leveller 82.

The hydraulic motor 28 is double acting and has a standard control 88 for controlling the flow of fluid to opposite ends thereof. Hydraulic motors 22 have a control 90 for controlling the flow of fluid thereto. Hydraulic motors 56 and 64 have similar controls 92 and 94, respectively. Hydraulic motor 74 also has a control 96. Hydraulic motor 52 has a control 98 which includes a limit switch 100 for stopping movement of piston rod 50 intermediate its limit of travel. The switch 100 is located adjacent the rail 36 as shown in FIGURE 2.

The operation of our device is as follows:

Assume, for ease of explanation, that there are four stationsidentifiedas. Station A, Station B, Station C and Station D as shown on FIGURE 2. A first coil S is moved along conveyor 2 until it reaches the end thereof. At that time the downender 8 will be in the position shown in FIGURE 2. The operator then operates con trol 90 to bring the adjusting arms 16 against the coil, after which he operates control 88 to rotate the down ender 8 through 90 Where the axes of the coil S and the adjusting arms 16 will be in a horizontal position as shown in broken lines in FIGURE 6. The control 92 is then operated to raise the cradle 58 to engage the. coil as shown With the parts in this position the control 98 is operated 'to move the coil cars to the right (FIGURE 2) where the'coil car 38 is stopped at Station B by operation of limit switch 1%. The cradle 58 is thenlowered to deposit the coil S on blocker rolls 76 as shown in FIGURE 4. The coil peeling device 80 is operated so as to permit the leading end of the coil to be fed through the rolls of leveller 82 to the shear 86. This is done by rotating the blocker rolls 7 6 and the rolls of leveller 82. The end of the strip is cut off in the shear 86 and the straightened and sheared end is drawn baclr through the leveller 82.

While the coil is resting on blocker rolls '76 and being 7 prepared for feeding at Station B, the control 93 is operated to move coil cars 33 and 40 to their original posi-' tions at Stations A and B. At Station A a second coil is deposited by the downender 8 on the V-type cradle 58' of coil car 38 in the manner described above. The control 94 is then operated to cause hydraulic cylinder 64 of coil car 4% to raise the turn table 66 until the cradle rolls'70 contact and remove the first coil from blockers rolls 76. Thehydraulic cylinder 52 by operation of its control moves the coil car 38 to Station B and coil car 40 to Station C where thehydraulic. motor 74 by op-' eration of its control turns the cradle through 90 so that the axis of the ,coil is parallel to the axis of the uncoiler mandrel 32. The coil on coil car 38 is then r deposited on blocker rolls 76 to be prepared for feeding. When the strip on the uncoiler 30 is depleted the hydraulic cylinder 52 moves the car 4-0 to Station D where the coil is supported on the uncoiler mandrel 32' and uncoiled in the usual manner. The hydraulic cylinder 52 then returns coil cars 38 and 40 to their original positions at Stations A and B where the operations are repeated. 7

While one embodiment .of our invention has been shown and described, it. will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for handling coils of strip between a'conveyor forsupporting coils of strip with their axes generally vertical and an uncoiler spaced from the delivery for movement therealong, the coil car adjacent the downender arranged at the delivery end of said coilconveyor, saidldownender including a support for receiving coils from said conveyor with their axes generally vertical, a support generally perpendicular to said last named support and means for rotating said supports about a generally horizontal axis so as to transfer saidcoils from a position with their axes generally vertical to a position 1 with their axes generally horizontal, a pair of spaced parallel rails extending between said downender and said uncoiler, two connected coil cars mounted ontsaldtrails for movemen-t therealong, the coil ca-r adjacent the downender including a cradle for receiving a coil from said downender at a first station'and means for raising and lowering said cradle, .the coil car adjacent the uncoiler including a turntable, cradle rolls mounted son said turntable, means fortrotating said turntable; means for raising and loweringtsaidtturntable and means for rotate ingjsaid cradle rolls, ;means for receiving a coil from end of said conveyor for supporting coils with their axes said first named coil car at a second station, and means for moving said coil cars along said tracks from a position where the first named coil car is at the first station andthe second named coil car is at the secondv station to a position where thersecond named coil car is at the uncoiler. V Y 7 t '2, Apparatus for handling coils of strip between a conveyor having spaced apart pallets for supporting coils of strip with'their axes generally vertical-and uncoiler spaced from the delivery end of said conveyor for supporting coils 'with' their axesi generally horizontal and parallel to the direction of movement of said'conveyor, said apparatus comprising adownendet arranged at'the with their axes generally vertical, a support generally perpendicularto said last named support and means for eal to a position with their axes generally i1 extending between said downender otating'saidesupports about a generally horizontal axis:

x riding towardsaid uncoiler, apair'of 4i i r and said uncoiler, two connected coils cars mounted on said rails for movement therealong, the coil car adjacent the downender including 'a cradle for receiving a coil from said downender at a first station and means for raising and lowering said cradle, the coil car adjacent the uncoiler including a turntable, cradle rolls mounted on said turntable, means for rotating said turntable, means for raising and lowering said turntable and means for rotating said cradle rolls, means for receiving a coil from said first named coil car at a second station, and means for moving said coil cars along saidtracks from a position where the first named coil car is at the first station and the second named coil car is at the second station 'to a positionwhere the second named'coil car is at the uncoiler. V 7

3. Apparatus for handlingcoilsfof strip between a conveyor having spaced apart pallets for supporting coils of strip with their axes generallyvertical and an uncoiler spaced from the delivery-end of said conveyor for supporting coils with their axes generally horizontal and parallel to the direction of movement of said conveyor, said apparatus comprising a downender arranged at the delivery end of saidvcoil conveyor, said downender in cluding a support for receiving coils from said conveyor with their axes generally vertical, "a support generally perpendicular to said last named support and means for rotating said supports about a generally horizontal axis so as to transfer said coils from a position with their axes generally vertical toga position with their axes generally horizontal and extending toward said uncoiler, a pair of spaced parallel rails extending between said downender and saiduncoiler, two connected coils cars mounted on said 'rails 'for movementv therealong, the coil car' adjacentrthe downender including a cradle for receivinga coil from said downender at a first station and means for raising and lowering saidcradle, the coil carv adjacent the-uncoiler including a turntable, cradle rolls mounted'on said turntable, rneans' for' rotating said turntable, means'for raisingi and-lowering said turntable andtmeansfor rotatingsaid cradle rolls, a pair of horizontal rolls ata second station with their axes generally parallel to said rails and at an elevation above the low position ofsaid cradle rolls, meansfor rotating said pair of ro1ls,ra coil peeling device adjacent said pair of rolls at said second station, a rollrleveler adjacent said coil peeling device adapted to position an end of a coil with respect to a shear on the side of said roller leveler away from said-coil peeling device, and means'for moving said coil cars along said tracks from a'position where the first named coil car is at the first station and the second named coil car ,isjatthe: second station to a position where the second named coil car is at theuncoiler.

4; The method of handling coils 'ofstrip which comprises moving the'coils along a' conveyor with their axes generally vertical, transferring the firstofsaidcoils from said conveyor to'the first of connectedfirst and second carriages with its axis generally horizontal, moving "said carriages toward, a work station to support a coil with its a'xisgen'erally horizontal, temporarily'removing said into said work station,'moving said carriages to' aposition I where said second coil can be replacedfon said second delivery end of said-coil conveyor, said downender-ineluding a support for receiving coils from said conveyor carriage and a third coil can be placedronisaid first carriage, and then'repeating the "feeding operations to said workstation I I a a V. t v

; 5. The method of :handling coils of strip which comprises movingthe coils'ialong'a conveyor .Withtheir axes s to transfer said coils from a position with their axes 7 generally vertical, transferring the first of said polls from :said c'onveyor to the firstof' connected first and second carriages with its axis generallyhorizontal;moving said 3 carriages toward a worlrjstation to support a'coil with" its axis generally horizontal, temporarily removing said first coil from said first carriage, moving said carriages to their first named position, transferring a second coil from said conveyor to the first carriage and replacing said first coil on said second carriage, then rotating said first coil on said second carriage to a position with its axis parallel to the desiredposition of its axis at said work station, temporarily removing said second coil from said first carriage, moving said second carriage to a position Where said first coil can be inserted into said work station, moving said carriages to a position where said second coil can be replaced on said second carriage and a third coil can be place-d on said first carriage, and then repeating the feeding operations to said work station.

6. The method of handling coils of strip which comprises moving the coils along a conveyor with their axes gene-rally vertical, transferring the first of said coils from 7 said conveyor to the first of connected first and second carriages with its axis generallyhorizontal, moving said carriages toward a work station to support a coil with its axis generally horizontal, temporarily removing said first coil from said first carriage, uncoiling the end of said first coil when removed from said carriages and preparing said end for insertion in processing equipment, moving said carriages to their first named position, transferring a second coil from said conveyor to the first carriage and replacing said first coil on said second carriage, temporarily removing said second coil from said first carriage, uncoiling the end of said second coil when re moved from said carriages and preparing said end for insertion in processing equipment, moving said second carriage to a position where said first coil can be inserted into said work station, moving said carriages to a position Where said second coil can be replaced on said second carriage and a third coil can be placed on said first carriage, and then repeating the feeding operations to said work station.

7. The method of handling coils of strip which oomprises moving the coils along a conveyor with their axes generally vertical,'transferring the first of said coils from said conveyor to the first of connected first and second carriages with its axis generally horizontal, moving said carriages toward a work station to support a coil with its axis generally horizontal, temporarily removing said first coil from said first carriage, uncoiling the end of said first coil when removed from said carriages and preparing said end for insertion in processing equipment, moving said carriages to their first named position, transferring a second coil from said conveyor to the first carriage and replacing said first coil on said second carriage, then rotating said first coil to a position with its axis parallel to the axis of said uncoiler, temporarily removing said second coil from said first carriage, uncoiling the end of said second coil when removed from said carriages and preparing said end for insertion in processing equipment, moving said second carriage to a position where said first coil can be inserted into said work station, moving said carriages to a position where said second coil can be replaced on said second carriage and a third coil can be placed on said first carriage, and then repeating the feeding operations to said work station.

8. Apparatus for feeding coils of strip from a remote position to an uncoiler for supporting coils with their axes generally horizontal comprising a pair of spaced parallel rails extending from said remote position to said uncoiler, two connected coil cars mounted on said rails for movement therealong, the coil car remote from the uncoiler including a cradle for receiving a coil with its axis generally parallel to said rails at a first stat-ion and means for raising and lowering said cradle, the coil car adjacent the unco-iler including a turntable, cradle rolls mounted on said turntable, means for rotating said turntable, means for raising and lowering said turntable and means for rotating said cradle rolls, means for receiving a coil from said first named coil car at a second station, and means for moving said coil cars along said tracks from a position where the first named coil car is at the first station and the second named coil car is at the second station to a position where the second named coil car is at the uncoiler.

9. Apparatus for feeding coils of strip from .a remote position to an uncoiler for supporting coils with their axes generally horizontal comprising a pair of spaced parallel rails extending from said remote position to said nncoiier, two connected coil cars mounted on said rails for movement therealong, the coil car remote from the uncoiler including a cradle for receiving a coil with its axis generally parallel to said rails at a first station and means for raising and lowering said cradle, the coil car adjacent the uncoiler including a turntable, cradle rolls mounted on said turntable, means for rotating said turntable, means for raising and lowering said turntable and means for rotating said cradle rolls, means for receiving a coil from said first named coil car at a second station, and means for moving said coil cars along said tracks from a position where the first named coil car is at the first station and the second named coil car is at the second station to a position where the second named coil car is at the uncoiler.

it The method of preparing a coil of metallic strip material for processing, which comprises placing the coil in an unwinding position with its axis generally horizontal and arranged longitudinally of a strip processing line, partially unwinding the coil and extending and flattening a portion of the strip atits exposed end, cutting unsound metal from the exposed end of the strip, rewinding the coil, transferring the strip to a processing position and rotating the coil until its axis is generally transverse of the strip processing line, and then feeding the coiled mate-rial into the processing line.

11. Apparatus for preparing a coil of metallic strip material for processing comprising, in combination, a coil receiving station, a coil unwinding station, first coil transfer means disposed in advance of a strip processing line and shiftable between the coil receiving station and the coil unwinding station, means to deliver coils of strip material to the coil receiving station, coil opening means disposed adjacent the coil unwinding station, shear means placed adjaccnt the coil opening means to receive strip therefrom, a line feeding station at the entry end of the processing line, second coil transfer means shiftable between the unwinding and said line feeding station, and shifting means in operative connection with the first coil transfer means and the second coil transfer means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,653,502 9/53 Meyer 2l4-1 X 2,698,693 1/55 Nordquist 198-21 X 2,725,137 11/55 Muddiman 198--33 2,801,812 8/57 Coulter 24279 2,991,023 7/61 OBrien 24279 3,042,334 7/62 Erskine 24279 MEIRVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner. 'HUGO SCHULZ, JOSEPH P. STRIZAK, Examiners. 

11. APPARATUS FOR PREPARING A COIL OF METALLIC STRIP MATERIAL FOR PROCESSING COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A COIL RECEIVING STATION, A COIL UNWINDING STATION, FIRST COIL TRANSFER MEANS DISPOSED IN ADVANCE OF A STRIP PROCESSING LINE AND SHIFTABLE BETWEEN THE COIL RECEIVING STATION AND THE COIL UNWINDING STATION, MEANS TO DELIVER COILS OF STRIP MATERIAL TO THE COIL RECEIVING STATION, COIL OPENING MEANS DISPOSED ADJACENT THE COIL UNWINDING STATION, SHEAR MEANS PLACED ADJACENT THE COIL OPENING MEANS TO RECEIVE STRIP THEREFROM, A LINE FEEDING STATION AT THE ENTRY END OF THE PROCESSING LINE, SECOND COIL TRANSFER MEANS SHIFTABLE BETWEEN THE UNWINDING AND SAID LINE FEEDING STATION, AND SHIFTING MEANS IN OPERATIVE CONNECTION WITH THE FIRST COIL TRANSFER MEANS AND THE SECOND COIL TRANSFER MEANS. 